Cleveland Cavaliers player James Harden was arrested on Saturday in Houston on a misdemeanor charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon in a motor vehicle, according to the Harris County District Clerk’s Office. Harden was arrested at 3:41 a.m. and booked just before 5 a.m., then posted $100 bond and was released from police custody, according to charging documents, which said he had a handgun in plain view that was not in a holster. [More]
Incredibly poor judgment…
You know, requiring someone to disarm before entering a hookah lounge…
Some might say just going to a hookah lounge in the first place…
Leaving the gun like that was pretty dumb, too.
[Via Jess]
“Leaving the gun like that was pretty dumb, too.”
It’s not always trivial to get the local gun laws right. Presuming the guy was a visitor, as he plays for a Cleveland team…
Back before much licensing and any reciprocity at all, Texas was permissive in that anyone (even a nonresident) considered a “traveler” (such as a trucker or RVer) was allowed to be armed in their vehicle. Now, at that time, somewhere (and I believe it might have been in Texas) if you were armed in your vehicle, it HAD to be visible to an officer who might stop you. In other states, no.
For some years (very recently), if you wanted to carry legally in Texas, it had to be concealed — wind blew your jacket open, you were in trouble. Yet next door in New Mexico, if you wanted to carry legally, it HAD to be openly.
The result is that the stranger carrying in good faith was more likely to get dinged than the professional dirtbag.
Not sure where leaving it “in plain view” is not an issue…